MISSION BBQ — Restaurant in Rockville

I was going to work on a comment about their mission being barbeque, but I am fairly confident that someone has made that connection. Very good experience with this location. Ive eaten there several times over the years with no issue, so I guess I'll write about the issue I recently had.

Mission BBQ...forgot my fries. They forgot my fries, and I didn't notice until I got home. You may be saying to yourself, "the onus is on you, sir. They show you your meal when it's ready." That is true, but Mission BBQ was crowded that night, and I have sensory issues. Also, don't victim shame.

Anyway, I got home, opened my meal, and discovered that it was "sans fries." I was already cranky, and now I was crestfallen. I called Mission BBQ, and after explaining the situation they asked for my receipt. I didn't ask for one. Instead of hemming or hawing, they tracked down my name and the time I ordered on the register, confirming that I had indeed ordered fries. This isnt the first time a mistake has been made at a restaurant, but this is usually the point when a manager asks if you want to drive back to the store for a side. I've never understood why they think that is a good idea. I was braced for that idea, but Mission BBQ didn't offer it. They apologized, refunded the cost of a side, and advised me to let them know I was short a side the next time I came in and they would make it right.

They already did make it right. Maybe it was because I was already having a bad day, but that interaction was really good customer service. I feel if you are going to Mission BBQ you have a good idea of what to expect food wise, but the customer service is a definite bonus. A little thing made a day a...

UPDATE: Raised to 4 stars. We catered a party with them--they were very good overall. Had the pulled pork, chopped brisket, and pulled chicken. Pork and brisket were excellent, but the pulled chicken was not a big hit with the party goers or the family. (Cannot recommend the pulled chicken, again.) As for sides, we had the green beans and cole slaw--both very good. (Made my own corn bead since I don't really like theirs--too dry.) Catering personnel were very helpful and supplied everything we needed.

Service was great and fast. The restaurant was comfortable and clean. As for the food, it was a mixed experience. (I smoke my own meats so I'm pretty particular.) Brisket: comes two ways sliced--"lean" and "wet". The "lean" was sliced from the flat and very dry, but was tender and had a nice bark and smoke ring; "wet" is sliced from the point so definitely fattier with more flavor, but not the premium piece of meat. Pulled pork was excellent--moist and flavorful and not fatty. Pulled chicken was also flavorful and moist, but was oddly salty. The baby back ribs were overcooked and tasted ok. Nice variety and tasty BBQ sauces on the table. The fries were great (I believe cooked in peanut oil). The cornbread was very dry and nothing special. The baked beans were a bit odd--seem like thick gooey canned baked beans from the grocery store with BBQ sauce and small chunks of brisket added--nothing great. I will go back and try other items on the menu and try the "lean" brisket again to see if it is always this dry (this was the biggest disappointment). Overall assessment now: not too bad for Maryland, there are better BBQ...

The service at this Mission BBQ was unbelievably good. My husband and I looked at each other multiple times in amazement. We came here for lunch on a Saturday with a 3.5 year old and 1.5 year old. When we walked in the door we were greeted immediately by the staff at the counter. Ordering was easy and the person helping us answered several questions. As we started filling our drinks, a worker approached us and asked where we would like to sit and if we would like 1 or two high chairs that she would get and take to our table. We had planned to sit outside, so she grabbed the high chair an hurried outside to prepare our table. Next, another worker approached us with our food on two trays and insisted that he carry it to our table. Once there, they made sure we had all of the sauces we wanted and that we had everything we needed. The first worker that helped with the high chair came back out to check on us during our meal and then when she saw that we were finishing up and cleaning up our kids, she came back out and told us to please leave everything and that she would take care of it. The kindness and service of the staff made our dining experience very enjoyable, which honestly doesn’t happen much with young kids! As my husband remarked, there wasn’t even a line to add a tip on the receipt, which is a shame because these people deserve a tip! But they did it all sans tip with a smile on their faces. We don’t live in Rockville, but we visit pretty regularly and now we plan to absolutely return to this...